Apparatus for performing underwater operations



Nov. 28, 1967 s. LEONARD] 3,354,658

APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING UNDERWATER OPERATIONS Filed Aug. 12, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 mvEryToR.

Sam Leonandl Nov. 28, 1967 S. LEONARD! APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING UNDERWATER OPERATIONS Filed Aug. 12, 1965 FIG.A.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Sam Leonardl Nov. 28, 1967 s. LEONARD! 3,354,658

AP ARATUS FOR PERFORMING UNDERWATER OPERATIONS Filed Aug. 12, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG .9. F1610.v F1611.

- INVENTO R. Sam Leonardl United States Patent Ofilice 3,354,658 Patented Nov. 28 1967 3,354,658 APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING UNDERWA'IER OPERATIONS Sam Leonardi, 1245 NW. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 Filed Aug. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 479,235 6 Claims. (Cl. 61-69) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus in the form of an underwater vessel for conducting operations under water and which can be operated by remote control and without requiring the use of a diver or an occupant in the vessel. It consists of a propelled underwater vehicle of torpedo-like form having an electromagnetic forward head arranged around a socket which can hold adaptors for various tools and devices for conducting underwater operations. One of such devices is an explosive tubular rivet or shape charge combination which can be exploded by remote control and caused to penetrate the hull of a sunken vessel and attach an adaptor thereto. The adaptor can be one that is attached to an air hose which can direct air under pressure into the hull. An adaptor so attached can provide a cable, attached to the rivet and used for lifting purposes. Various other tools and devices held by an adaptor in the socket and released when attached or coupled to the hull, can be used.

This invention relates to aquatic devices or to apparatus useful in working under water such as for the purpose of making visual surveys, making scientific or engineering inspections, searching for wreck-s or salvage, seeking lost articles and for collecting data in relation to pressure, currents, saline content, radioactivity, temperature and for the ascertainment of underwater conditions.

it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for use for the purposes above mentioned and which can be operated by remote control and without requiring the services of divers or occupants. It is an object of the invention to provide a remotely-controlled apparatus of this kind which can be operated in water depths far beyond those which can be entered by divcrs.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a proplled underwater vehicle of torpedo-like form, which is provided at its forward end with a head that includes an electro-magnet disposed around a socket into which any one of a number of adaptors is adapted to be fitted and which is held in the socket by the magnetic attraction of the magnet or by other means. These adaptors can be employed to carry various tools, accesories, tubular explosive rivets, nozzles and many other parts useful for probing, penetrating ships hulls or other ship parts, clearing away debris and performing many other useful and necessary functions likely to be required in uncovering wreckage, treasurer seeking or gathering facts relative to underwater conditions.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in View, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particulraly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a view showing a surface ship connected to the underwater torpedo-like vehicle by the control cables;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the instrument panel, the television screen and various other control elements;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic head on the torpedo;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the magnetic head privided with an attaching device or limpet;

FIG. 5 shows the limpet attached to a hull with the torpedo backed away from the hull and a rivet of tubular form driven through the hull and exposively explosively expanded, and a valve in the adaptor or limpet opened to permit the forcing of air into the hull of the sunken vessel;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a typical explosive rivet;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing means employed for attaching cables around the hull of a wreck for lifting purposes; I

FIG. 8 shows a lifting cable eye attached to a hull by means of an explosive rivet;

FIG. 9 shows an adaptor used for the insertion of a one-way valve into a hull to provide for the escape of water from a chamber or hold of a sunken vessel as it is being pumped full of air and also when it is desired to release air to balance the wreck.

FIG. 10 shows the valve installed by the means disclosed in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 shows an adaptor which can be used when it is necessary to vent a bull or deck without employing a valve;

FIG. 12 shows a device carrying a manipulating arm or claw to which various tools or instruments can b attached;

FIG. 13 shows a device provided with suction means for means for sucking up debris or loose material from decks or holds of ships; and l FIG. 14 shows means carrying a jet nozzle through which air or water can be ejected for use in removing sand or gravel to expose objects, parts of wrecks or the like. Referring to the drawings, there istherein shown in FIG. 1, a control ship 1 on the surface of the body of Water in which the apparatus is operating, said ship being connected to the underwater vehicle of torpedo-like shape shown at 9, by a control cable 3 and an air hose 2. The torpedo 9 has complete maneuverability under water and to very substantial depth. The torpedo is equipped with electric and air driving motors, a propeller 8, driving vanes 7, flood lights 6, closed circuit television 5 and a powerful electro-magnetic head 4. Provided in the magnetic head 4 is a socket 17 (FIG. 3) for the reception of adaptors for various tools and instrumentalit'ies. Said socket 17 magnetically retains the tools and it also includes a locking device 14 for such tools and instruments, as well as contact points 16 for detonation, and to which, the current-carrying wires 15 are attached. Also, the body of the torpedo contains control relays, sensing gyros, pressure meters, salinity and pH meters and possibly other instruments useful for various purposes.

In FIG. 2 a control panel 13 is shown, the same being carried by the surface ship and it provides for controls and readings of the various accessories carried by the torpedo. For example, the screen for the television apparatus 5 may be positioned as shown at 12.

In operation, the magnetic head 4 can be attached to the wall 26 of the hull of a submerged or wrecked ship or to any other magnetically attractive element, as shown in FIG. 4. In this particular arrangement the socket 17 contains an adaptor or head 19 provided with an explosive rivet 20 which may be of the type shown in FIG. 6 or of other known construction. The details of construction of the rivet and its associated elements are shown in FIG. 4 wherein it will be noted that the same include a shaped charge 21; detonators 22 and a propellant charge 23. The air hose 2 is coupled to an air passage 24 in the head 19. An anti-explosion flap valve 25 is provided as shown.

When the explosive charge 21 is detonated by means of the detonator 22 it punches a hole in the wall 26 of the hull and the explosive rivet is driven through the hole and the segments 27 of the rivet are spread apart to thereby attach the rivet to the hull together with the head 19 substantially as shown in FIG. 5. Air under pressure may then be forced through the air hose 2 and past the valve 25 to flow through the axial passage 2% of the rivet to enter the hull of the wrecked ship. Any required number of these rivet-formed openings can be provided through the hull by the means above described.

In cases where it is desired to attach one or more cables around the hull of a wreck for lifting purposes, the construction shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be employed therein the adaptor shown at 29 is used to attach a cable eye 28 to the hull by means of an explosive rivet 20 as previously described. The rivet 20 is explosively projected through the wall of the hull and has its segments 27 spread apart as disclosed in FIG. 8 and since the rivet is encircled by the cable eye 28 it serves to attach the eye to the hull. The adaptor 29 when removed, leaves the cable eye attached as clearly shown in FIG. 8. The cable may now be used for lifting purposes.

In FIG. 9 is shown an adaptor 30 which can be employed when it is desired to provide a valved passage through a wall of a hull or elsewhere. Such a passage is desirable when it is necessary to allow the escape of air, water or other fluid in one direction from a chamber or hold when the same is being pumped full of another fluid or gas. It is also desirable to provide such a passage when it is desired to release air to balance a wreck. The adaptor 30 contains the shaped charge 21 and backfire block 33 which drops away after entry. The valve body shown at 31 is provided with a flap valve 32 and the propellant change is shown at 23.

When the propellant change 23 is detonated by the detonator 22, the valve body will be propelled through an opening formed in the wall of the hull and will remain therein, carrying the valve 22 substantially as shown in FIG. 10.

In FIG. 11 is shown an adaptor 34 which can be used when it is desired to merely form a hole through the wall of a hull without providing a valve. At 21 is shown an explosive charge which, when detonated by the detonator 22 will produce a vent hole.

In FIG. 12 is shown an adaptor 35 which fits in the socket 17 of the torpedo 9 and is provided with a projecting tubular arm or hollow tube 36. Jaws 37 extend beyond the forward end of the arm and are pivotally attached at 50 to the end of a control rod 38 that extends axially through the hollow arm 36, said arm being attached to a piston 40 operative in a cylinder 41 through air pressure exerted through the air hose 28. A return spring is employed in the cylinder as shown at 41. The tapered outlet 51 and the cross pin 52 therein effects the movements of the jaws 37 to and from one another to clamping or release positions when the control rod is moved by either the air pressure or by the spring 4-1.

In the construction shown in FIG. 13, the adaptor 42 has an air hole 28 leading into its passage 53, the outlet of which communicates with a T-shaped fitting 54. One branch of the fitting is attached to a rigid or stitI suction tube 44 and the other branch of the fitting is connected to .t flexible tube 43 that extends to the surface of the water or to the ship 1. This arrangement is useful for sucking up debris or other loose material from the decks or holds of ships or from the surface of the ocean floor.

It is also desirable at times to provide means for using air or water under pressure for the purpose of removing sand. gravel or other material from over or around objects. wrecks or parts thereof to more clearly expose the same. The fluid under pressure can also be used to tunnel under wrecks or other submerged objects in cases where it is desired to place ropes or cables around the objects. FIG. 14 shows an an adaptor 45 carrying an air nozzle 46 from which air transmitted by way of the hose 28 is ejected for the purposes above mentioned.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the apparatus herein described has many important uses. The head or forward end of the torpedo is capable of receiving adaptors of many different kinds, including those which have herein been specifically described. The magnetic influence exerted by the head 4 enables the torpedo to attach itself to any magnetically-attractive element and thus place any adaptors in strategic positions relatively to wrecks to enable them to be worked on after being 10- catcd.

Having thus described an embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for underwater operations comprising, a propelled underwater craft provided with a magnet at its forward end, a socket in the magnet for receiving and magnetically retaining an adaptor, the magnet being effective to be attached to a wrecked hull or metallic part thereof to thereby position the adaptor against the hull, and means carried by the adaptor for penetrably entering the hull and attaching the adaptor thereto, leaving the adaptor remaining attached to the hull.

2. An apparatus for underwater operations as called for in claim 1, wherein the means which penetrates the hull is a tubular explosive rivet and attaches the adaptor to the hull.

3. An apparatus for underwater operations comprising, a propelled underwater craft of torpedo shape having a magnetic head at its forward end, means on said head for holding a releasable adaptor provided with an explosive rivet, the head being magnetically attracted to a metallic underwater element such as the hull of a sunken ship, and means for exploding the rivet when the head is attracted to a hull and the adaptor is positioned against the bull, to thereby insert the rivet through the hull and attach the adaptor to the hull.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rivet is tubular and its insertion through the wall of the hull provides for a passage through the hull.

5. An apparatus for underwater operations comprising, a torpedo-like propelled underwater vehicle, electric control lines and fluid-transmitting lines extending from said vehicle to a surface ship for the control of the vehicle, an electro-magnetic head on the forward end of the vehicle, a socket surrounded by the magnet for receiving a releasable adaptor that is maintained in the socket by the magnetic influence of the magnet, and a plurality of adaptors for selective fitment in the socket, each of said adaptors being releasable from the socket and being provided with an instrumentality for operation upon a submerged vessel or part thereof.

6. An apparatus for performing underwater operations comprising, an underwater conveyance controlled from a surface ship, magnetic means carried by said conveyance for magnetically attaching the conveyance to the hull of a sunken ship, an adaptor carried by the conveyance and provided with an air passage coupled to an air hose extending from the surface ship, and means transported UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,562 11/1919 Sisson 61-69 6 Baht 114-16.8 X Temple 2279 X Barnett 6169 Cal-abrese 6169 X Justus 61-69 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

J. KARL BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR UNDERWATER OPERATIONS COMPRISING, A PROPELLED UNDERWATER CRAFT PROVIDED WITH A MAGNET AT ITS FORWARD END, A SOCKET IN THE MAGNET FOR RECEIVING AND MAGNETICALLY RETAINING AN ADAPTOR, THE MAGNET BEING EFFECTIVE TO BE ATTACHED TO A WRECKED HULL OR METALLIC PART THEREOF TO THEREBY POSITION THE ADAPTOR AGAINST THE HULL, AND MEANS CARRIED BY THE ADAPTOR FOR PENETRABLY ENTERING THE HULL AND ATTACHING THE ADAPTOR THERETO, LEAVING THE ADAPTOR REMAINING ATTACHED TO THE HULL. 